Equality sometimes means treating people as individuals instead of treating them as exactly the same. Biological differences in men and women have shown that each gender tends to learn the best in a slightly different environment. Same gender schools allow those specified environments to be created, but at the cost of not having a gender-integrated experience. Here are 6 other pros and cons to consider regarding this type of school structure.
The Pros of Same Gender Schools
1. It allows students to embrace their full potential without peer pressure.
When genders are integrated, there are certain roles that men and women are expected to fulfill. This means men who are creative and women who are aggressive leaders tend to be shunned by the general population. Same gender schools eliminate much of this issue.
2. It reduces stereotypes.
Many point toward the sexual distractions that mixed gender schools have when men and women intermingle and declare this as a benefit. While this may be true, same gender schools also eliminate the expected stereotypes that men and women have for each other. This reduces student body cliques and fosters a more welcoming environment.
3. Comparable resources are provided to both genders.
Same gender schools that give preferential treatment to one gender over the other are considered unconstitutional in the United States. A district must provide comparable resources so that everyone can learn.
The Cons of Same Gender Schools
1. Most teachers aren’t prepared for a same gender environment.
When new teachers are being instructed in the art of becoming a teacher, then general education they receive is based on a mixed gender format. This means teachers coming into a same gender school may be unprepared for what they’re about to face.
2. The real world isn’t segregated by gender.
Students today need to be prepared for a global environment. We are closer as a human race than ever before in many ways and being segregated by gender may reduce how prepared students actually are.
3. More competition within the gender may create new distractions.
There is always an “alpha” student who is considered the leader of a class, a grade, or even a school. With same gender schools, the competition for this role can create a new distraction that takes students away from their work.
The evidence of same gender schools being beneficial is inconclusive. That means each family and district must weigh pros and cons like these to determine if this structure is right for them.
Crystal Lombardo is a contributing editor for Vision Launch. Crystal is a seasoned writer and researcher with over 10 years of experience. She has been an editor of three popular blogs that each have had over 500,000 monthly readers.
